Refrigerating apparatus.



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lREmmERAfrING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED APB. 1o, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSARIO COPPOLA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,606, dated January 20, 1903.

Applicationled April l0, 1902. Serial No. 102,165. (No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSARIO COPPOLA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of` Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus in which the objects are to maintain in constant circulation within an ice-box, cooling-room, or cold-storage chamber currents of air which are caused to repeatedly pass over a block or mass of ice or other heat-absorbing medium.

The particular object soughtinmyimprovement is to produce the maximum degree of circulation of air with simple and inexpensive apparatus and to divide the currents of air into a number of fine jets, whereby they will be more readily and quickly deprived of their latent heat.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section showing my apparatus applied to a chamber. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the receptacle for ice or other cooling medium with the cover removed; and Fig. 3 is a View from oneside of the fan device,which forms an important feature of my apparatus.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A represents a closed chamber in which it is desired to maintain the circulation of cooled currents of air. Secured to the floor of the chamber are standards or posts b b, in which are formed suitable horizontal bearings for a drive-shaft C, one end of which extends through the sides of the chamber and has mounted thereon a motor D, which may be adapted to be driven by electric current or by a current of water under pressure. The drive-shaft extends through a fan-case E, which rests on the floor of the chamber and is formed with side air-inlet openings eS and with a top vertical discharge-openin g e4. The opposite sides of the fan-case are provided with outwardly-flaring concave extensions e of somewhat greater diameter than' the fancase, the open base of such extensions communicating directly with the side openings of the fan-case, so that air entering the extensions will pass into the fan-case. The discharge-opening e4 communicates directly with an upwardly extending and tapering pipe F, the upper end of which communicates with the cooling device to be described.

Mounted on the drive-shaft C on each side of the fan-case and opposite the extensions e are rotary fans H H, the blades of which are so arranged that they will drive the air toward the fan-case. Mounted on the driveshaft within the fan-case are double fans e2,

which upon being rotated will drive the air within the case out through the opening e4 and through the pipe F, as will be readily understood. The upper and contracted end of the pipe F connects with the upper convolute of a coil of pipe g2, which is arranged around the inner walls of a box G, having a cover g' and a bottom in which are formed perforations g4. In the sides of the coil toward the center of. the box are a number of holes through which the air escapes when forced through the pipe F and coil, thus dividing the blast of air into a plurality of small jets, which are projected against and distributed over a cake of ice placed within the box and in the center of the coil, as indicated in Fig. 2. When ice is used, the bottom of the box is preferably provided with slats g3, upon which the cake rests in order that the air may freely circulate on all'sidesofthe ice.

It will be apparent that under some condi- `tions I may use in lieu of ice some other cooling or heat-absorbing mediumas liquid air, sal-ammoniac, niter, or other well-known chemical refrigerating media. When such chemicals are used, it may not be desirable to have the circulating air come into intimate contact therewith, and in such cases I will leave the coil of pipe imperforate and cause the air to traverse the entire length of the coil, allowing it to escape through the perforations in the bottom of the box or through the lower end of the pipe which projects through the bottom of the box. In such use of my apparatus the circulating air is cooled by being passed through the pipe, which is itself cooled by being exposed to the induence of the medium used within the box.

It will be noted that in the operation of my improved apparatus the air is drawn downwardly from the upper part of the chamber, where it is always the warmest, by the fans IOO H, that it is forced into the fan-case, where it is caught by the pans e2 and propelled upwardly through the tapering pipe F, whence it is drawn' into the coil, from which it escapes under pressure through the holes in the coil in the form of a number of small jets, which are readily acted upon by the cooling medium with which they are brought into intimate contact. The suction caused by the fans will draw the air through the holes in the bottom of the box, when they will again pass downwardly to the fan-case and the operation will be contin ued.

I am aware that it is not new to force air through a coil of pipe for refrigerating purposes, and I do not claim such; but

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a fan-case having outwardly-daring extensions communicating with the air-inlet openings in the case, a fan or fans mounted Within said case, fans mounted without said case and opposite said extensions, a tapering exhaust-pipe communicating with the fancase, a cooling-box communicating with said pipe, and means for driving said fans, sub stantially as set forth. l

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a fan-case having side openings and provided with outwardly-flaring concave eX- tensions communicating with said side openings, a shaft passing through said fan-case, fans mounted on said shaft within said case, and other fans mounted on said shaft exterior to said fan-case and opposite said extensions, an upwardly-extending and tapering pipe communicating with said fan-case, a cooling-box communicating with said pipe through a plurality of openings in a coil extension of said pipe, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROSARIO COPPOLA. Witnesses:

CLYDE BAss, F. BENJAMIN. 

